TiVo Might Rue Arrival of DTV

Brad King
08.07.02

The VCR has given way to TiVo, but consumers who have shelled out hundreds of dollars for digital video recorders could be out of luck in the near future.

Broadcasters are scheduled to begin delivering digital TV signals in 2006, giving consumers better picture and sound quality in their homes. However, Hollywood is threatening to withhold its movies unless cable companies are given the right to prohibit taping of shows. Since the new signals will deliver perfect copies to the home, the entertainment companies want to protect their content.

Electronics manufacturers believe this is an attempt to hijack their products, putting them at the mercy of movie studios while taking away the rights consumers have come to expect when using their VCRs, according to Michael Petricone, a member of the Home Recording Rights Coalition.

The biggest blow would be for consumers who have already purchased a TiVo or ReplayTV, two of the most popular digital video recorders. The devices can't handle digital signals, making them obsolete when DTV becomes the standard.

The next generation of digital video recorders will be equipped for DTV, and there will be more shows and options for the viewer than ever; but if Hollywood gets its way, consumers won't enjoy the features that TiVo or ReplayTV offer now.

There will be high definition (HDTV) shows that are broadcast with movie theater-quality pictures and sounds. There will be standard television (SDTV) that allows one station to handle five different shows -- particularly nice for sports fans who flip through games. There also will be enhanced television (EDTV) that has better picture quality than standard television plus interactivity.

To receive the full benefits of DTV, consumers have to purchase digital televisions that have several data ports similar to a PC. Digital video recorders, like a DTV-ready ReplayTV that will be available next year, will then attach to the firewire port so information can be quickly shared between the recorder and the television.

"As of today, there is no legal way for (broadcasters) to prevent anyone from copying," said Andy Wolfe, SonicBlue's chief technology office. "Ultimately, we think it would be damaging to the customers if they couldn't time-shift their shows."

If Hollywood gets its way, recording won't be as easy as it is today.

Jack Valenti, the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, has said that without proper security measures, the industry won't allow its movies to be broadcast. The reason: Digital signals create perfect copies that won't degrade. Executives fear they would deliver perfect copies to millions of viewers.

Such a measure would keep people from recording their favorite shows, said Jenny Miller, a spokeswoman with the Consumer Electronics Association, something manufacturers have steadfastly refused to do.

"If you talk to anyone on the manufacturing side, we are trying to work with the studios so that people can get high definition television with their recorders," Miller said. "But it's getting to the point that you can't even take a show you tape over to your friend's house."

Cable companies say they have no intention of ever restricting the port, they just want to be able to show blockbuster movies. That puts them at the mercy of the studios.

Motorola, one of the four companies that make cable set-top boxes, has licensed ReplayTV technology, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That would allow cable companies to lease their own recorders to anyone who wants DTV with Hollywood's restrictions already built in.